How to get Spellbound spell checker working with Firefox 1.5.0.1
UPDATE: As Jeff of The Curt Jester pointed out, the latest Google toolbar for Firefox has a great spell checking functionality. I’ve been playing with it and will probably be uninstalling Spelbound in favor of it soon. Unlike Spellbound, you just install it and it works.
UPDATE AGAIN: Well, as you can see the Google bar spell check functionality doesn’t play nice with the Wordpress WYSIWYG editor. Oh well…… I’ll leave this post the way it is to serve as a warning to you all. Well, at least anyone who uses Wordpress.
I had to search far and wide to find this, so I thought I would post it here in the hopes of making it easier for others to find it. Firefox is of course the browser that’s taking the web by storm. As often as I comment on websites as well as post here (well, maybe not so often) and as dyslexic as I am, I have to have a spell checker in my browser. I had found the solution with spellbound. The problem is this, when I updated to Firefox version 1.5.0.1, spellbound broke. I mean broke in a big way. I tried installing the latest from their website, but it refused to install saying that it was incompatible with the Firefox version. I know how to fix that, by downloading and modifying the config file that comes with the Firefox extension. But I wasn’t sure if there might not be a reason this extension doesn’t work with the new version of Firefox, so I decided to research it a little. What I found it totally awesome. The latest development version (meaning “beta”) of spellbound would not only work fine with Firefox 1.5.0.1, but it also adds a lot of neat new features including “as you type” checking. COOL!
Here’s what you need to do to get it installed. This of course assumes you already know how to install and uninstall Firefox extensions. If you don’t you need to learn how to do that first by reading this. First uninstall the old version of spellbound. I didn’t have to restart Firefox at this point, but I would suggest you go ahead and do that just to be on the safe side. Then go here to find the latest dev version of the extension and install it. You’ll find the link in a forum post at the top. Just click on the words “Install SpellBound Dev” here or on that website. That will start the install of the extension. You’ll need to allow the site in your preferences. To this, you should see a bar at the top of the browser window that says “To protect you computer, Firefox prevented this site”..etc…. Just click on “Edit Options”. A new box will appear that will ask you to edit your security preferences. Click on “allow site”, then “OK”. All this does it allow you to install extensions from the server they are located on. It does not give anything access to you computer. If you’ve had to go though all this to allow the site, you will need to click on the download link again.
At this point, you’ll need to follow the instructions int he pop-up box to install the extension. Think you’re finished? Think again. Now you need to install a dictionary. Go to the website here to see and install the available be dictionaries. You might have to go through the above procedure to allow the site and install these too, as they are also simply extensions for Firefox.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone out there so they don’t have to go through the Googling and guesswork I did. Have fun and happy spell checking.
February 4th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
Thank you very much for this excellent piece of information. I could not get Spellbound to update from the Extension Box; even though I knew that an upgrade was available. Your post led me directly to the download page.
I just installed version 0.9.8.2260108 and it works beautifully with Firefox 1.5.0.1. As you correctly posted, Spellbound corrects your spelling as you write, following the path of MS Word. Version 0.7.3 was good, but this new version is excellent.
Thanks again for you helping hand. I know many of your readers will take advantage of your post.
Regards,
Omar.-
February 4th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Thank you for the feedback Omar. It’s nice to know this was helpful to someone.
February 5th, 2006 at 5:45 am
Wow, I did not even know about this plugin and how incredibly useful it might be. I generally only have the Web Developer plugin installed, but this is Spell checker is nice.
Thank you for the directions on installing it. I was able to get it working right away.
February 5th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
I use to use spellbound before the update broke it. It was always a little temperamental in installing. An easier solution is the new Google toolbar for Firefox which now includes really good form spellchecking.
February 6th, 2006 at 7:41 am
WOW….I never even noticed that spell check button in the Google toolbar. That pretty cool. I’ll have to give it a spin.
February 14th, 2006 at 9:12 pm
[...] Here’s his solution to get Spellbound spell checker working with Firefox 1.5.0.1. [...]
February 17th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
Thanks!!! I have yet to get any spell checker working in wordsmith (Which is all I really use it for) that would leave the rest of my install alone. Spellbound is so much better then any I’ve tried and it’s browser wide.
February 20th, 2006 at 10:14 pm
[...] The current version of Firefox, version 1.5x, breaks Spellbound, a very handy extension for spell-checking entries in web forms, including the WordPress editor that I use to add entries to this blog. Worth installing if you’re tired of having people point out your spelling mistakes in online message boards, blogs, gallery picture descriptions, etc. This page describes a way to get Spellbound working again with the current version of Firefox: how-to-get-spellbound-spell-checker-working-with-firefox [...]
February 21st, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Thanks to everyone for all the positive feedback. I really appreciate it. I’m glad this was useful to some folks.
February 22nd, 2006 at 2:29 pm
You may already have noticed, but the Spellbound extension is going to be included as a standard feature with Firefox 2.x: Inline Spell Check
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=351130
http://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox2/Features
Robert Strong (aka rob_strong, Robert S.) now works with Firefox development.
March 1st, 2006 at 12:40 pm
[...] Spellbound is broken in Firefox 1.5.0.1. Here is a useful article about getting it going again. Also some comments about the new version of Spellbound and Firefox 2.0. [...]
March 5th, 2006 at 10:25 am
A huge thank you for sorting this out. Ever since the firefox upgrade, I have been googling spell checks etc. I couldn’t rest until I found something to work. I opted to download the spellbound, and since following you instructions, it works like a dream. Thanks so much for your help!
March 8th, 2006 at 4:58 am
Excellent. Thank you.
March 11th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Got SpellBound to install and appears to function in FireFox 1.5.0.1 but it can’t seem to find the dictionary (English-US) I install. FireFox 1.5.0.1 says it installs the dictionary but it never shows up in the list of extensions (should it?). I am using two versions of FireFox (1.0.7 and 1.5.0.1) using the MOZ_NO_REMOTE feature in a batch file as you described on this site. SpellBound is installed in the 1.0.7 version and works fine there. Any ideas why SpellBound can’t seem to find the dictionary in FireFox 1.5.0.1?
March 11th, 2006 at 4:41 pm
Never mind. I missed that I had to select the dictionary from the bottom of the spell check window.
March 13th, 2006 at 7:49 am
The red links in this post don’t work. Are they ads? The real links are the same color-style as the main text making it very difficult to find the real links in this post
March 13th, 2006 at 8:03 am
The red lettered words are not links. That’s where the Google spell checker screwed up the formating of this post as I mentioned. I am working on getting links in my post more “noticeable”, but I am not CSS expert and every time I try to fix it, not only does it not fix it, but it breaks something else.
March 14th, 2006 at 3:12 am
Bonjour,
Excellent, thanks a lot, merci beaucoup, I do appreciate: my student’s posts (in French) have less of those horrible mistakes they did since the spellchecker didn’t work anymore. Hope my post doesn’t have too many English mistakes!
Stéphane -:)
March 14th, 2006 at 4:11 am
De rien! Your English is fine.
March 17th, 2006 at 11:26 am
[...] Remember that to correct an underlined spelling mistake, use ctrl+left click to bring up the Spellbound menu (similar to using right click to correct spelling mistakes in MS Word). Here’s my source for this post. [back] [...]
March 17th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Marc, I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus, in thanks for your very helpful post. Since I installed the latest Firefox update, I’ve really missed the spell-check feature I used to have. Searching on google led me to this post and now I am pleased as punch.
By the way, not only did your post have useful information, it was also well written and exceedingly easy to follow.
March 29th, 2006 at 2:28 am
[...] Since up dating to Word press 1.5.3 my installed spell checker doe’s not work. It seems an update to fix this is not high on the list of things to do. Bit of a bugger but you have to understand people have other priorities. So what to do? Well for me the next best thing was to use the Spellbound plug-in for Firefox. Ahhh now there is another problem! Since I updated Firefox to 1.5.0.1 Spellbound failed to work. So after much goggling I found this on Wild Tangents blog. Very helpful indeed. So Spellbound Firefox plug-in now works under Firefox 1.5.0.1 Happy? you bet [...]
March 29th, 2006 at 2:31 am
Marc you are a star. Thanks very much for the detailed heads up on how to get spellbound working once again. Many thanks.
April 3rd, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Hi,
Thank you sooo much! I was totally dying without spell check.
Your instructions were super easy to understand and follow. I just downloaded it to my desktop, opened up the extensions box, dragged it to the extensions box, it works like a charm.
You’re awesome!!!
Thank you!!!!
G
April 5th, 2006 at 1:59 am
Thanks!
April 8th, 2006 at 12:19 am
thanks Marc for writing this tutorial, and thanks to Rich C for pointing out the drop down menu with the dictionary’s. With which without I would still be installing and uninstalling for the umpteenth time.
Been using Spellbound since its release, and can’t live without it.
Thanks again y’all
June 2nd, 2006 at 8:59 am
Testing 1.2.3……
One of the reasons I have resisted upgrading my main browser to the latest Firefox version is because I couldn’t figure out how to get the spell checker to work with it. Today I did some searching and I found……
June 2nd, 2006 at 9:01 am
Marc – wanted to thank you for posting this. I have put off upgrading to Firefox 1.5.* because I didn’t want to lose the spell checker and didn’t have time to try to figure it out. Today I had a few minutes and started googling, which led me here. Excellent directions, worked like a charm. My laptop is now updated and my desktop will be by tonight. This is outstanding.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:33 pm
Using latest 1.5.4 Firfox. I installed Spellbound and dictionary. It shows on my FF Menu and when I, “Check Spelling,” it fails to find anything!
When running a spell check on this message, even when I intentinally mispell several words here the spell check fails to catch it.
What am I missing?
June 29th, 2006 at 9:17 am
Chris – Make sure you have a dictionary installed and selected at the bottom of the spell check window. I think Rich C had a similar problem above.
June 29th, 2006 at 3:52 pm
I have installed the dictionary but not sure what you mean by the spell check window?
July 8th, 2006 at 8:04 am
Thank you so much for this helpful guide! I searched everywhere to figure this out. Your instructions were clear and easy to follow. Thanks again!!
July 8th, 2006 at 8:56 am
Does anybody have this working on an Intel Mac with the latest OS?
My Spell Checker is installed but does not work on my Intel Mac.
July 8th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Well no. It looks like there is a problem with the plugin that prevents it from working on the new Intel Macs. Yes, this means I can’t use it either. How’s that for irony.
July 9th, 2006 at 11:09 am
>>Does anybody have this working on an Intel Mac with the latest OS?
My Spell Checker is installed but does not work on my Intel Mac.
Well no. It looks like there is a problem with the plugin that prevents it from working on the new Intel Macs. Yes, this means I can’t use it either. How’s that for irony.
July 9th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
[...] WOW…..When I wrote “How to get Spellbound spell checker working with Firefox 1.5.0.1″ I never dreamed there would be such a positive response. The comments over there aren’t the half of it either. I have received a ton of email saying thanks for the help. [...]
December 20th, 2006 at 9:10 pm
hi were do we find these dictionaries ?
I have installed the Dev, cant find the dictionaries.
December 20th, 2006 at 9:18 pm
Find the following sentence above….
“Go to the website here to see and install the available be dictionaries.”
Click on the word “here” in it.
December 20th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Thank you Marc for your quick reply it now works very well.
I will share the info with my mates in Australia
August 9th, 2007 at 8:27 am
<p>I couldn’t understand some parts of this article o get Spellbound spell checker working with Firefox 1.5.0.1 at Wild Tangents, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.</p>
Editor Note:The spammy link was removed.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Daniel – Can you let me know what I can do to improve this post so spammers like you can undersand it?